Unrestricted and Scholarship Giving

FEBRUARY 1, 2013—Lynn Truesdell (’61) and Carol Truesdell's generosity is rooted in shared values, gratitude, and understanding of nonprofits' needs. They are dividing their GENERATIONS gift between three-year Law School scholarships, matched by the Robina Foundation's Scholarship Match Program, and unrestricted funds.

Having supported three daughters through college and graduate school, including two at the University, they understand the power of scholarships. "Commitment to diversity and opportunities for people of all ethnicities and backgrounds has been a consistent underlying value for our charitable contributions and our volunteer work," Carol explains. "The contribution for the scholarship fund is right on track for our value system." It is also right on track for the Law School, which Dean David Wippman says has an increasingly diverse student body, in part because of scholarship support.

Longtime nonprofit leaders, the Truesdells also understand the importance of unrestricted gifts, especially as state funding for the Law School declines. Lynn served on the boards of the Milkweed Editions and United Theological Seminary and was a reading and math tutor at Whittier International Elementary School over a period of ten years. He is past president of the Minnesota Defense Lawyers Association and the American College of Trial Lawyers.

Carol was vice president of community relations with The Pillsbury Company Foundation from 1985–90 and a University of Minnesota Foundation trustee from 1994–2000. A co-founder of several nonprofits, she currently serves on the boards of Search Institute and One Village Partners (focused on work in Sierra Leone), and works with Portico Interfaith Housing Collaborative.

Lynn put his J.D. straight to work in 1961 at Bassford Remele, where he practiced civil and appellate litigation and served as a partner and officer until retiring in 1998. He calls his Law School preparation absolutely invaluable and says, "I love the law and have been very grateful to it for not only my day-to-day livelihood but also for my intellectual growth."

Thanks to the Truesdells' generous support, a new generation of students gets a chance to study, practice, and love the law.